A CHRISTMAS WISH

Chapter 29: The Gathering!

O.k guys i want lots of feedback on this chapter...i really worked hard on it and i hope it turned out alright but i need you guys to tell me what you think.....is it funny? is it good enough? am i going in the right direction? i need to know....so plz feel free to tell me, i need your advice.....I hope the chapter itself isnt too innapropriate, i was a little bit nervous about the conversation Sarah has with the Mclaughlins but i just went with the flow and wrote what came naturally to me, i have decided not to hold back, i think the last time that was one of the reasons i couldnt get into the groove as readily as i would want to......this is a long chapter and it is my gift to all my patiently waiting readers, it is because of you guys i came back and it was your messages that pulled me out of my rut, i hope i have done you all proud:-)

Chapter 29;

The Gathering;

The cavernous room filled with the sound of excited banter and laughter as the women engaged in their favourite past time, gossip.

It wasn’t very often they got the opportunity to wile the day away. Nor was it every day they got to spend any appreciable amount of time with the rest of the womenfolk. Most days were spent cooking and cleaning with a good deal of scrubbing thrown in.

The women of the McLaughlin village had a lot on their plates, they had to take care of their burgeoning families and homes and in times such as these when most of their men were off warding away those McArdle curs their list of chores got even more extensive.

That is why each and every one of them had jumped at the opportunity to come see the Lairds new English wife for themselves.

Apart from that first day, they hadn’t caught more than a few glimpses of her and that had been two days ago.

Well most of them hadn’t, the exception was Brigitte.

Lady Sarah had done her the honour of visiting her personally. She had spent a good deal of time in her hut just yesterday in fact.

Every single woman in the village had grilled Brigitte about her unexpected visitor. And the village had been buzzing with gossip ever since. They were all more than a little curious about the lass. Unfortunately Brigitte hadn’t been too forthcoming; instead she had informed a lucky few, that the Laird’s wife had invited them for supper in the great hall on the ‘morrow.

Their curiosity had peaked then, and the ones invited had eagerly accepted the invitation. Actually they approved, ‘twas quite an honour to be invited into the Lairds keep. There were but a handful of women who were granted the privilege of working there during the day like Megan and Anna, the rest of them only got to see it from outside. It was reserved as the domain of the warriors. They all dined here most evenings with the Laird but their women were seldom, if ever invited.

A few of the village’s younger females were already in Lady Sarah’s favour; they secretly thought the whole thing wildly romantic, the Laird riding off to England to claim his prize, ‘twas like a fairytale to them. But the majority were a little more practical than that, they had decided to reserve judgement.

Some of the older biddies in the village still harped on about the fact she was English and as such unworthy of the proud name of McLaughlin. But most of them were unaffected by that particular prejudice and they were willing to give the lass a chance. She was the Lairds wife after all, and from everything they had heard about her from Brigitte and Megan they were willing to concede she wasn’t like other English women, who to their mind only ate toads, had warts and practiced witchcraft.